Police Officer of the Year Awards
Officer Christopher Smith
Just three weeks into their Field Training program, Port Huron Police Officers Christopher Smith, Adrianne Mynsberge, and Ashley Marcano didn’t expect to be called into a dangerous situation so soon in their careers.
On January 5, dispatch reported a suspect wielding a knife had chased a victim into a Port Huron McDonald’s. Upon leaving the restaurant, the suspect began stabbing himself in the chest while walking southbound on Pine Grove Ave. Officer Smith was the first to arrive on the scene. He found the suspect walking on the sidewalk near the Blue Water Bridge, about two blocks from the McDonalds.
Officer Smith approached the suspect and attempted to talk with him. He noticed the suspect’s shirt and top of his pants were soaked in blood. As Officers Mynsberge and Marcano arrived at the scene, the suspect revealed his knife and advanced aggressively towards Officer Smith. Officer Smith drew his service weapon and began backing up from the suspect, instructing him to drop the weapon. The suspect continued moving toward Officer Smith, pleading for him to shoot.
The officer originally felt the threat wasn’t large enough to shoot the suspect, but the suspect was unrelenting and lunged toward him with the knife. Officer Smith fired two rounds from his service weapon, knocking the suspect to the ground momentarily. The suspect got up from a kneeling position and began approaching Officer Smith once more. At risk of being struck by oncoming traffic, the officer fired a second round of shots. The suspect pled for Officer Smith to “shoot him in the head.” As the officer moved in for an arrest, the suspect rose from the ground yet again and charged toward Officer Smith. At last, the third and final round of shots disarmed the suspect. In hopes of getting away, the suspect began stumbling down the street before falling to the ground. The three officers were finally able to arrest him, ending the incident.
The suspect received medical treatment and is sentenced to 7-22 years in prison.
For your wonderful work and swift actions, the Police Officers Association of Michigan salutes Port Huron Police Department Officer Christopher Smith as you for the 2019 Police Officers of the Year Award.
Recommended Read: 2019 Police Officer of the Year Award Recipients – Officer Ryan Alexander, Dearborn POA
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